Green bean casserole will be present on most Thanksgiving tables this week, but nothing beats homemade green bean casserole.

Frozen green beans and sautéed mushroom soup swaps out the typical canned ingredients. And the best part, the crispy, crunchy, preservative free topping. The onions take a little love (or patience) but are so worth it. They almost disappeared before making it onto the casserole. I recommend not taste testing because of that reason.

I could honestly skip the turkey, potatoes and pie this year and just eat this savory, creamy casserole. Okay, maybe not forfeit the pie. Happy Thanksgiving!

1. Mushroom Base: Thaw green beans. Chop mushrooms into 1/4″ cubes and sauté over medium heat with olive oil, sea salt and pepper (until they begin to sweat about 3-5 minutes). Add garlic and sauté 1-2 minutes longer. Add flour (I used Trader Joe’s AP gluten free flour blend) to mushrooms and stir to coat evenly. Add the vegetable broth a 1/2 cup at a time, whisking frequently with a fork. Once all broth has been added, cook 1 more minute. Stir in coconut milk and simmer. Cook until the sauce thickens, stirring often (approximately 5-6 minutes). Once thickened, remove from heat and mix with green beans; add additional sea salt and pepper if needed. Pour bean mixture into a greased 11″ x 7″ baking dish, set aside.

2. Crispy Onions: Cut onions in half lengthwise and peel outer layer. Using a sharp knife thinly slice onions. Place cut onions on paper towel and pat to remove excess moisture. Place flour, seasonings and dried onions in zip bag and shake to coat evenly. Shake off excess flour and fry onions on stove top (just until lightly browned) in grapeseed oil in small batches to prevent burning. Set aside on a paper towel, lightly covered with another paper towel to prevent soggy onions.

Make ahead tip: The day before serving assemble casserole through step one, cover and refrigerate. Complete step two half way, slice onions, dry and refrigerate. Mix flour and seasonings, keep sealed in air tight zip bag. Fry onions the day of baking and complete step three.

Continuing the island theme from key lime pie, a juicy marinated chicken breast topped with fresh, colorful salsa now on the menu. With daylight lasting longer, a great opportunity to fire up your grill for a quick entree. Whether you’re on spring break or not, you can escape to the islands tonight for dinner.

Fresh ingredients, and herbs, are a healthy cook’s best friends. The basil is unassuming, but a great addition, complimenting and enhancing the natural sweetness of the citrus flavors. With the leftover salsa feel free to grab your blue corn chips and start dipping alongside your chicken. Double Yum!

I’ve already eaten it twice this week and my mouth is still watering.

serves 4

1 lb CHICKEN BREASTS, BONELESS, SKINLESS (4 oz. each)

1 LIME, JUICED

1 LEMON, JUICED

2 GARLIC CLOVES, sliced

3 tbsp HONEY, PURE

2 tbsp OLIVE OIL, EXTRA VIRGIN

1 tsp PAPRIKA, GROUND

1/4 tsp NUTMEG, GROUND

1 tsp THYME, DRIED

1/8 tsp CAYENNE PEPPER, GROUND, (more or less to taste)

SEA SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE

SALSA:

1 cup PINEAPPLE, diced

12 oz CHERRY TOMATOES, halved

1 JALAPENO PEPPER, diced

1 cup RED ONION, chopped (about 1/2 large)

1 MANGO, peeled, cored, chopped

1 ORANGE, peeled with knife, segmented and juiced

1 LARGE AVOCADO, chopped

1 clove GARLIC, minced

SEA SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE

1 LIME, JUICED

1 tbsp RED WINE VINEGAR

1/4 cup BASIL LEAVES, FRESH, snipped or chiffonade

1. For marinade: Place chicken and next 10 marinade ingredients in a zip top bag; refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour, turn half way through to coat.

Note: acid base marinades are quick because they break down proteins in the meat to tenderize and inject flavor fast.

2. Make the salsa. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Can make ahead and refrigerate up to 1 hour (toss in basil before serving).

3. Grill or saute chicken breasts on an oiled grill, or large skillet sprayed generously with cooking spray, until cooked through; about 6-8 minutes per side depending on chicken thickness. Add extra honey and/or paprika, cayenne at end of grilling for sweeter or spicier chicken.

4. Top each cooked chicken breast with about 1/2 cup salsa and serve (will have leftover salsa). Side options below.

Whipped Cumin-Honey Sweet Potatoes: Mash 2 large, cooked sweet potatoes with cumin, honey and pinch of cinnamon to taste. Whip with and electric mixer and a little milk to thin, if desired.

Rich, creamy and warm butternut squash soup without all the fat and calories of regular cream soups. This soup is sure to please all squash lovers in your life. Makes a large batch and even better the next day!

serves 6

5 cups BUTTERNUT SQUASH, (from 1 large squash)

2 tsp OLIVE OIL, EXTRA VIRGIN

1 medium ONION, chopped

6 cloves GARLIC, chopped

1 medium APPLE, peeled, rough chop

1/4 tsp CINNAMON, GROUND

2 tsp THYME, DRIED

1/4 tsp NUTMEG, GROUND

1/2 tsp MARJORAM, DRIED

6 cups CHICKEN BROTH, LOW SODIUM, (OR HOMEMADE)

4 CHICKEN OR TURKEY SAUSAGE LINKS (or 8 oz. ground), cooked

16 CARROTS, BABY, chopped (or 4 large carrots)

2/3 cup GREEK YOGURT, PLAIN, LOWFAT

SEA SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE

1 tsp CIDER VINEGAR

1 1/2 tbsp SAGE, FRESH, chopped

36 croutons CORNBREAD OR GARLIC CROUTONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a rimmed baking or roasting pan with cooking spray. Halve a large butternut squash and remove seeds. Place cut side down on prepared baking pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until fork tender in the largest part of squash (baking time will vary with size of squash). Remove squash from oven and let cool until able to handle. Scoop out the cooked flesh with a spoon and mash slightly with a fork. This step can be done the day before or use frozen mashed squash, just unthaw before using.

2. Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Saute onion in olive oil for about 5 minutes until tender; add apple and garlic then cook another 3-4 minutes, stirring frequent not to burn garlic. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, marjoram and thyme, stir about ten seconds to wake up the dried spices. Stir in the chicken broth and 5 cups of mashed squash. With an immersion blender (my favorite), regular blender or food processor puree the soup to a very thick consistency.

3. Chop or crumbled cooked sausage and add to the soup pot along with the carrots. Cover and simmer for about 10-12 minutes, stirring ocassionally. Add fresh sage, cider vinegar, salt, pepper and yogurt a few minutes before serving. Top each serving with cornbread croutons and garnish with parsley if desired.